Think of the most fun people you know. I’m thinking of my sister, who took up kite boarding a few months ago because it just sounded like an adventure. My sister in law, Megan, who says “yes” 99% of the time. My Aunt Margie, who doesn’t just observe kids having fun, she DOES the fun thing. She’ll swing on swings, dive in the lake, sled down a hill, go ice skating . . . you name it, she does it. My friend Abbey who got a Jeep for her 45th birthday, because it just sounded like fun to cruise around in a Jeep.

If being fun doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t despair. Me neither. I’m not saying I’m a stick in the mud, but sometimes being fun is in direct opposition to being organized, planned, responsible, and all the boring stuff that makes me, well, ME! But over the past 2 years I’ve made a conscious effort to have more fun. I help my clients do the same. Life is too short to be serious all the time!

You are guaranteed to have more fun if you try even one of these 3 things. Try all 3 and you might be off-the-charts fun by the time summer is over.

Say yes. Try something new. Do something new or out of character and see how it feels.
Be present. This is the key to everything in life, in my humble opinion. Put down the phone and be “all in” for an hour, a day, whatever it takes.
Be curious. Have a genuine curiosity for life and people. If a business trip takes you to a random location you’ve never been, seek out something interesting and go for it.

I asked people of various ages and genders the same question:

“How do you have fun?”

Here’s what they had to say:

JLG, age 4: “Ask your Mom to take you to the zoo and then to the store to buy a toy”

JML, age 8: “Be a team player and when a friend says an idea, say yes. It will probably be an adventure”

GOL, age 11: “Laugh a lot. Watch funny videos on youtube.”

MKD, age 14: “Share laughs and smiles with the people you love.”

SAM, age 29: “You can have fun in almost any situation if you look for it. Having fun is more fun than not, so why not have fun?”

MJG, age 34: “Lower your expectations. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be fun. My husband and I decided one morning to drive to the Kentucky Derby which was that night. We actually had sort of an awful time, but it’s a great story that we can laugh about. It was still fun!”

CMH, age 45 : “I love to have fun. Look for the fun in any situation. It’s all about attitude and perspective!”

MDS, age 67: “Don’t wait for big fun. Make the little things fun. With my grandkids, if we have 15 minutes we’ll have a frisbee throwing contest, have a water fight with little squirt guns (you get less wet than when you use super soakers!), see who can jump the furthest off the tree swing. Sing while doing a puzzle. Nothing too time consuming or expensive!”

So there you go. Fun is just waiting for you! You just have to look for it.

How Much Fun Are You Having?